James Hebblethwaite, Tasmanian Poet

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James Hebblethwaite - Poet
Born in Preston, Lancashire, 1857, James Hebblethwaite migrated to Tasmania (formerly Van Diemen's Land) in 1890 for health reasons. Tasmania is Australia's smallest and least populous state. Here He taught at schools in Hobart and Latrobe.

At his death in 1921 he was the incumbent of Woodbridge parish, D’Entrecasteaux Channel. He established a wide reputation for his writing and did more in his period for Tasmanian culture, history and poetry than has been generally realised. A Book of Verses was published in 1911 and his work also appeared in The Oxford Book of Australasian Verse, 1918 selected by Walter Murdoch (1874–1970).

Further information on this book can be found at the Bartleby Books site: http://www.bartleby.com/249/

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James Hebblethwaite's poem The Wanderers is reproduced below. Click on the Book link opposite to see more poems and additional biographical details. Some of this information has been supplied by one of James' descendants, Chris Hebblethwaite, in Australia. Chris is also looking for any details about his other Lancashire ancestors. See his message on my Family Search page.

The Wanderers
As I rose in the early dawn,
While stars were fading white,
I saw upon a grassy slope
A camp-fire burning bright;
With tent behind and blaze before
Three loggers in a row
Sang all together joyously—
Pull up the stakes and go!

As I rode on by Eagle Hawk,
The wide blue deep of air,
The wind among the glittering leaves,
The flowers so sweet and fair,
The thunder of the rude salt waves,
The creek’s soft overflow,
All joined in chorus to the words—
Pull up the stakes and go!

Now by the tent on forest skirt,
By odour of the earth,
By sight and scent of morning smoke,
By evening camp-fire’s mirth,
By deep-sea call and foaming green,
By new stars’ gleam and glow,
By summer trails in antique lands—
Pull up the stakes and go!

The world is wide and we are young,
The sounding marches beat,
And passion pipes her sweetest call
In lane and field and street;
So rouse the chorus, brothers all,
We’ll something have to show
When death comes round and strikes our tent—
Pull up the stakes and go!

This poem has been set to music by Us Not Them and appears on their CD One Man's Weeds - Another Man's Flowers recorded live at Wongawilli Hall.

Us Not Them is an acoustic duo from New South Wales in Australia made up of Chloë Roweth on lead vocals and mandolin and Jason Roweth on guitar, bass and vocals.

Click on the photo below to visit their Web Site:
http://www.speedlink.com.au/users/usnothem/

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